1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a fire escape device having a cable drum mounted thereon together with a brake that is centrifugally actuated for regulating the speed of the cable being unwound from the drum thereby automatically regulating the rate of descent of a person supported by the device as the cable unreels from the drum.
2. Description of Related Art
Many devices have been provided to assist persons entrapped on upper floor levels of a burning building or the like to safely escape without injury. Some of theses devices involve a cable that is wound on a drum attached to a supporting structure so that as the person supported from the fire escape device descends by the cable unwinding from the drum, brake arrangements are provided for slowing the rate of descent of the person to avoid injury as a result of excessive velocity. The following U.S. patents disclose various devices for this general purpose. U.S. Pat. Nos. 194,536; 396,852; 425,554; 482,654; 702,259; 752,279; 772,056; 779,284; 787,394; 990,029; 1,296,052; 1,541,590; 1,593,704; 2,518,934; 2,122,315; 2,761,650; 4,253,643.